Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1998 08:46:14 -1000
From: Mia H H Lam
Subject: SB 1243: MORMONS STILL TRYING TO BAN INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE/HOMOSEXUALITY (fwd)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1998 09:02:25 -1000
From: Martin Rice
Subject: SB 1243: MORMONS STILL TRYING TO BAN INTERRACIAL
MARRIAGE/HOMOSEXUALITY
Aloha kakahiaka kakou.
The following from Kaikua`ana Joshua in Honolulu . . . the notes
contained herein are his, not mine (darn).
The Mormans (LDS) have caused us so much grief! Now, for your perusal,
enjoyment, education and/or consternation...
(My comments are in >>brackets<> Mormons officially discourage interracial marriage -- it's selfish! <<
Following excerpts are from the Morman page on Interracial Marriage
http://mormons.org/basic/family/marriage/interracial.htm
As evidenced by the ever-increasing divorce rate, marriage is simply a
difficult process in the best of circumstances. When the complexities and
stresses of race differences are added to the situation, it is far more
likely that divorce will occur. Therefore, "interracial marriages are
discouraged by [the Church]."
When one considers marriage, it should be an unselfish thing, but there is
not much selflessness when two people of different races plan marriage. They
must be thinking selfishly of themselves. They certainly are not considering
the problems that will beset each other and that will beset their children.
We are unanimous, all of the Brethren, in feeling and recommending that
Indians marry Indians, and Mexicans marry Mexicans; the Chinese marry
Chinese and the Japanese marry Japanese; that the Caucasians marry the
Caucasians, and the Arabs marry Arabs."(0/0/59) (The Teachings of Spencer W.
Kimball, p.303)
_________________________________________________________
>> Mormans' paranoia over same-sex marriage explained by fear of social
ostracism in the afterlife <<
Following excerpts are from the Morman page on Same-Sex Attraction
http://mormons.org/daily/sexuality/oaks_same.htm
The purpose of mortal life and the mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints is to prepare the sons and daughters of God for their
destiny--to become like our heavenly parents.
Our eternal destiny--exaltation in the celestial kingdom ... is only
available to a man and a woman who have entered into and been faithful to
the covenants of an eternal marriage in a temple of God.
Because of God's great love for his children, even the worst sinners (or
almost all of them) will ultimately be rewarded with assignment to a kingdom
of glory. Persons who have lived good lives and received most of the
ordinances of salvation but have failed to qualify for exaltation through
eternal marriage will be saved in a lesser place in the celestial kingdom
where there is no eternal increase.
>> Mormons officially comdemn gay-bashing, but it doesn't occur to them that
their active role in the fight against same-sex marriage encourages it, and
is exactly that -- gay-bashing! <<
Our doctrines obviously condemn those who engage in so-called "gay
bashing"--physical or verbal attacks on persons thought to be involved in
homosexual or lesbian behavior.
>> Oh, and by the way, don't refer to those people as LESBIAN or GAY!!! <<
We should note that the words homosexual, lesbian, and Gay are adjectives to
describe particular thoughts, feelings or behaviors. We should refrain from
using these words as nouns to identify particular conditions or specific
persons. Our religious doctrine dictates this usage. It is wrong to use
these words to denote a condition, because this implies that a person is
consigned by birth to a circumstance in which he or she has no choice in
respect to the critically important matter of sexual behavior.
__________________________________________________________
>> It's interesting to note that the Mormans DO make a distinction between
civil (state) marriage and temple (church) marriage, at least for their
adherents <<
Following excerpt is from the Morman page on Divorce
http://mormons.org/basic/family/marriage/divorce_eom.htm
The Doctrine and Covenants reiterates the teaching that marriage is ordained
of God. The Church distinguishes between (1) civil marriages, which are
valid for "time" (until divorce or the death of one spouse), and (2) temple
marriages, or sealings, solemnized by proper ecclesiastical authority, which
are binding for "time and all eternity" if the participants are obedient to
the gospel.
_________________________________________________________
In my web travels today, I came across the text of the U.S. Supreme Court's
decision in Virginia v. Loving
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=388&invol=1 (the
1967 decision that struck down state laws prohibiting interracial marriage).
The parallels between that case and the Hawaii same-sex marriage case are
striking. Among other things, the court found that: 1) Virginia's law
prohibiting interracial marriage among whites was designed solely to
maintain WHITE SUPREMACY, and 2) that just because the framers of the
constitution (and its amendments) couldn't foresee what was to come in the
future, did NOT make those documents irrelevant to current realities. (See
http://gaylesissues.tqn.com/library/content/blguest.htm for an excellent
article explaining the similarities of the two cases.)
And now, for something a little more lighthearted, I'd like to recommend for
your reading pleasure, the "Exclusive Interview with the Blessed Virgin
Mary" http://www.postfun.com/pfp/features/98/aug/virgin_mary.html. This fab
satirical website also includes other marvelous features, such as "Accepting
Jesus Christ as Your Own Personal Shopper," "Outing Celebrities for Jesus,"
"The Christian Hanky Code," and "Which Religion is Right for Your
Complexion?". (Don't get me wrong here... I'm a gay Christian... but this
stuff is really funny!)
Aloha,
Joshua
P.S. - If anybody has a copy of the actual wording of the amendment that'll
be inserted into the Hawaii constitution if the anti-same-sex-marriage
amendment passes, please forward it to me. (I don't mean the wording of the
question as it will appear on the ballot -- I mean the wording of the
amendment itself -- which I believe should be found in the Act passed by the
legislature authorizing the vote on the question.)
"Joshua Kay"